Carlos Fonesca (Santa Barbara) Hydroelectric Power Plant Nicaragua

Carlos Fonesca (Santa Barbara) Hydroelectric Power Plant Nicaragua is a 54.4 MW hydro power plant in Leon, Nicaragua. It is operated by Empresa Nicaragüense de Electricidad. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 54k homes (estimated). It ranks #14 of 19 Nicaragua power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1970, it is around 56 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 14.4% of Nicaragua's electricity; the national grid averages 301 gCO₂/kWh (62.4% low-carbon) (2024).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEODB0043592.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100001023141; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

Technically it is described as conventional storage. Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Share of Nicaragua hydro capacity

52.1% of 104 MW across 2 plants in this dataset

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Nicaragua

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Empresa Nicaragüense de Electricidad.

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 12.7°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #1 largest hydro power plant of 2 in Nicaragua by capacity.

Nicaragua has 2 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 104 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Momotombo Geothermal Power Plant Nicaragua · Geothermal · 77 MW · Leon
• Centroamerica Hydroelectric Power Plant Nicaragua · Hydro · 50 MW · Jinotega
• San Jacinto-Tizate Geothermal Power Plant Nicaragua · Geothermal · 82 MW · Leon
• San Benito power station · Gas · 150 MW · Managua
• ALBANISA Che Guevara VI VII (Nagarote) IC Power Plant Nicaragua · Oil · 54.4 MW · Leon
• Planta MAN 140 power station · Oil · 148 MW · Managua

Location

Coordinates 12.7158, -86.2798 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions